6 former altar boys accuse Guam priest of sex abuse

USA Today/January 25, 2017

By Haidee V. Eugenio

Hagatna, Guam — Six former altar boys on Guam filed multimillion-dollar lawsuits Wednesday afternoon against former island priest Louis Brouillard, the Archdiocese of Agana and the Vatican over allegations that Brouillard sexually abused them decades ago.

The lawsuits were filed in the federal court after at least eight Superior Court judges recused themselves from hearing any of the 15 clergy sex abuse lawsuits so far filed in the Superior Court, attorney Gloria Lujan Rudolph, of the law firm Lujan & Wolff, said Wednesday.

As many as nine other lawsuits, also alleging sex abuse by former and current Catholic priests on Guam, including Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron, will be filed in the District Court of Guam in the days ahead, attorney David Lujan said.

The six former altar boys seek not less than $5 million each in general damages, for a total of at least $30 million, plus attorney’s fees and other costs and fees, their federal lawsuits state. Each also demands a jury trial.

The defendants named in each of the six lawsuits are the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Agana, a corporation sole; Brouillard; and up to 50 entities, including the Vatican, who may have helped, abetted, assisted or covered up the priest sex abuse of altar boys.

The six former altar boys who filed the lawsuits Wednesday are Leo B. Tudela, 73; James A. Bascon, 60; Norman J.D. Aguon, 56; Anthony J. Vegafria, 56; Vicente G. Perez, 51; and Bruce A. Diaz, 47.